Check out Michael Silver's pimpin' new mug and column name!

I'm not sure how using someone's own words against them, especially when that person works at the most prestigious sports magazine on the planet, is somehow cowardly and lacking credibility. If you were a prep writer, Mike, a college beat guy, or even an NFL writer at a major metro, I'd feel like an asshole, I suppose. Yet somehow, in this situation -- knowing that maybe some young writers might read this thread and realize that pop culture metaphors and similies (especially when used in excess) are tired -- I think perhaps this gutless, anonymous coward will sleep just fine. If we can't critique the stuff in SI, I'm not sure what IS fair game.

For what it's worth, I did say you were a talented writer and reporter, and that I probably couldn't do your job. But I guess you overlooked that part where I was sucking your dick and went straight to "nausiating." Apologies. You're right. Even if I had spelled it right, that was as cold as Bree Van DeKamp on Desperate Housewives, and about as funny as Dane Cooke's Tourgasm. Anyway, Kanye West and Natalie Maines will probably get invited to spend a weekend at Camp David before I ever write for SI, so my opinions are about as culturally relevant as an episode of Flava of Love. I can see how you'd be full of rage, not unlike CJ from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

So it goes.

 

Yeah, but how about writing all that good stuff without the look-at-me, "so i was in the club with Edge last weekend" crap and the nauseating -- because they DON'T WORK -- pop-culture references.

 

I was kickin' it with my posse while reading this thread, just chilling at an out of the way bistro, when I realized this subject is getting as tired as the 'Johnny Cakes' storyline on The Sopranos. So before it gets as out of control as Tommy Gavin after drinking a case of Red Bulls, I'll just go my own way, kinda like Dennis Farina leaving Law and Order.

[Yeah, I know the original L&O is not nearly hip enough to reference, which makes it even funnier, I think.]

 

Not sure if this is worth mentioning or not, but it seems a little disingenuous on Silver's part ... He writes:

"I discussed this situation with a person who is extremely plugged into the Packers' organization, ..."

I have it on good authority Silver discussed Favre with a member of the media (who says he basically wrote the article for Silver) and that this "person who is extremely plugged into the Packers ..." is indeed that media person.

Technically, Silver is right. That person is probably plugged in. But he makes it sound like it's an executive or a scout or something.

I find Silver to be OK ... I find it funny he got his feathers ruffled by SportsJournalists.com and the above doesn't thrill me. Let's hope he does better next time, regardless of his photo.

 

Pop-culture references are awful. No one who uses them when writing will ever be successful.

Signed,
Stephen King
Jay McInerney
Nick Hornby
Dennis Miller
and Chris Ballard: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/chris_ballard/07/02/blog.0702/index.html

 

Wow, Silver really showed us. He should take a lesson from Peter King, who at least has shown the wisdom not to waste his readers' time clumsily trying to settle scores.

 

Hoops -
That's a rog, bro.

 

Does Slapshot count as a pop culture reference?